The Golden Stare of My Brother
by Author-chan
Summary: slight x-over with the Mermaid Saga Ever wonder how Inuyasha's parents met? Did they have adventures? And how did their families feel?
1. Meet Mira

Author-chan's notes: **HI!!! **I'm back again with a new fic!!! GO ME!!! YEAH!!! Anyway, I know I'm not finished with my other two fics, but I just had this idea floating around in my head for sometime and I thought it would be neat to try it out. Well, on with the fic!

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Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha. I wish I could own him, 'cause he's so cute! But no, he belongs to Kagome, and they belong to their creator. Oh well, at least I own Mira and Bara. Those two are **mine** and you can't use them without my permission. 

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* Important Note! Must Read! *: In the beginning of this fic, I'm going to be talking about the past. Not the Feudal Era, but the time before that. You know, the time when Inuyasha's parents were still alive. (*Inuyasha's parents haven't even met yet in this chapter. *) 

Remember to read the notes labeled *Important Note! Must Read!* because I'll tell you important things about that chapter in those notes. I would also like you to read my other notes, because you might find out some really nice tidbits about my stories and me. 

The Golden Stare of My Brother

(Chapter One: Meet Mira)

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the air wasn't too hot or too cold, and sky was a perfect blue. Mira was eight years old at this time. The little girl was perfectly happy chasing the butterflies, while her mother watched. Mira's father had died when she was only one year old, so she didn't remember him to miss him. Mira's mother, Akiko, didn't really miss her husband. Their marriage was an arranged one, so they didn't truly love one another. They respected each other, but they were never in love.

"Mama! Mama! Look at me!" Mira cried, as a group of butterflies formed a spiral around the girl. Mira laughed happily inside that whirlwind of insects.

"How beautiful," a voice behind Akiko commented. 

"Ah! Hello Bara onee-san," Akiko turned to greet her older sister.

"Hello imoto," Bara said, as she settled down next to Akiko.

"You know, she looks just like you," Bara said.

"Why do you say that?" Akiko asked. Bara laughed.

"Mira has your smile, a smile that could light up even the darkest cave. She also has your ears, your hair, your nose, and even your eyes. When she was born, I thought she would have your husband's eyes, but no, she got yours."

"My eyes do have strange color," Akiko agreed quietly. Both Akiko and her daughter had violet colored eyes, where most people had brown. Many had said that Akiko's eyes meant that she was cursed. Others said that her eyes meant she had mystical powers. And because of her eyes, Akiko had been shunned for most of her life. Mira was also shunned by other children. Because of this, Akiko really _did _feel cursed. She had always felt responsible for the times when Mira came home, all bruised and sad because of the other children's racism. 

"Is something wrong, imoto?" Bara asked.

"It's just that, Mira shouldn't have my eyes," Akiko said quietly.

"Why not? They are beautiful eyes," Bara said. 

"But…" Akiko began.

"You're still blaming yourself for what the other children do to Mira," Bara sighed. Akiko nodded.

"Listen, you can't blame yourself for what other people do and think," Bara said, "One day they will realize their mistakes, and find out that you are not cursed. Your eyes are unique. That makes them special. One day you will find a man who will recognize your eyes' beauty, and love you no matter what. Who knows? Maybe he'll be even more strange and unique that you."

"That is impossible," Akiko snapped, "There is no such man like that. Even my last husband was afraid of my eyes."

"Then he was a fool," Bara spat, "Believe me imoto, you _will_ find that perfect man. Even if I have to find him for you."

"Are you foretelling the future?" Akiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe I am," Bara said mysteriously. Akiko sighed, and turned away from her sister to watch her daughter. 

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'If I do find that perfect husband,' Akiko thought, _'I will make sure that our child will NEVER be laughed at. Never.' _Unfortunately, Akiko would never keep that promise.

Author-chan's notes: ALL RIGHT! I finished the first chapter! I know it's kind of short, but please bear with me. Now if anyone has read my Disclaimer, you will know that ONLY Bara and Mira belong to me. Akiko does NOT belong to me. She is in the original _Inuyasha_ series. You probably don't recognize her name, because her name wasn't mentioned in Inuyasha, so I just gave her one. Oh dear, I think I told you too much about Akiko. Oh well, that's okay. You'll probably figure out who she is anyway in the next chapter. 

P.S. Please R+R!!! I need reviews! I LIKE reviews. The only type of reviews that I don't like are flames. So please don't send me flames, I'm afraid of them. 


	2. Takashi

Author-chan's notes: **HI EVERYONE!!!** Can you believe it? I am writing a new chapter!!! YIPEE!!! GO ME!!!!!!! Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. But I wish I did. His ears are so cute!!!!!! Sometimes I dream that I have cute doggy ears like him! ^_^ (*And please remember that Mira, Takashi, and Bara are my original characters, and you cannot use them without my permission. *) 

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* Important Note! Must Read! *: Okay, this chapter takes place a few weeks after the first one. The setting in the beginning of this chapter is just outside the walls of the village that Akiko, Mira, and Bara live. The setting will change later in this chapter so pay attention! 

The Golden Stare of My Brother

(Chapter Two: Takashi)

"Hey, you!" a voice yelled. Mira turned to face a boy a few years older than her. More children, ranging from ages 7 through 10, surrounded him. 

"Are you talking to me?" Mira asked. 

"I don't see any other purple eyed freaks around," the ringleader sneered. Several other children snickered with him. One boy in the group (one of the children that didn't laugh) glared at the ringleader.

"Stop being mean, Onii-chan," the new boy said.

"Shut up, Takashi!" the ringleader snapped, "Everyone knows that she's a freak. She's probably a youkai!"

"That's not true!" Mira cried, "Okaa-san and I just have purple eyes! We're not youkai!"

"Then what are you? A witch? A dark miko?" the ringleader sneered.

"No! No!" Mira cried, backing away from his hungry, bloodthirsty eyes. 

"Onii-san! Stop it! You're scaring her!" Takashi cried, tugging at his brother's sleeve, "Let's go home. You're not playing nice."

"Shut up, Takashi!" the ringleader snarled, hitting his brother. Takashi fell on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Mira asked, rushing over to help Takashi.

"Yeah," Takashi mumbled, rubbing the cheek that his brother hit.

"Why did you do that? He's your brother!" Mira yelled at the ringleader. 

"Why do you care, wretch?" the ringleader sneered, "You don't even have a brother."

"Well, if I did have a brother, I wouldn't treat him like you do! You're just plain old mean!" Mira yelled.

"Shut up, freak!" the ringleader yelled, punching her. Mira collapsed in a heap next to Takashi. Takashi put a protective arm around the girl. The two eight-year-olds held on to each other for support, as the ringleader raised his fist.

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"Help us!" Mira cried out in her mind, _"Somebody, please, help us!!!"_

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*A Few Miles Away*

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"Help us! Somebody, please, help us!!!"

"What in the seven hells was that?!" Inutaisho asked out loud. Glancing around, Inutaisho saw no one except his traveling partner, Yuta. 

"Something wrong, Inu?" Yuta asked. Inutaisho looked at his friend. Although Inutaisho would have trusted Yuta with his life, he did not trust Yuta with his name. Inutaisho's name was too infamous in Japan. He didn't want Yuta to run away screaming from him as if he had seen a youkai.

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"No pun intended," Inutaisho thought with a slightly twisted smile. For you see, Inutaisho _was _a youkai. He was Inutaisho, the Great Demon of the Western Lands, one of the most powerful youkai living. And because of this, Inutaisho's name was respected and feared by both youkai and humans. So Inutaisho simply told Yuta that his name was Inu. Judging by the skeptical look Yuta gave him when they first met, the human did not believe him that his name was Inu. But Yuta seemed to accept Inutaisho's lie. After all, Yuta also had secrets of his own. 

"Are you alright, Inu?" Yuta asked, "You blanked out for a moment." 

"I'm fine, Yuta," Inutaisho muttered, "I was just thought I heard someone calling for help."

"I didn't hear anyone," Yuta shrugged. 

"Still, maybe we should try to find out if someone really did call out for help," Inutaisho said. Yuta laughed.

"You really are man's best friend," Yuta said, "Only the most faithful dog in the world would go off to help a human who probably doesn't even exists." Inutaisho growled at his friend. Yuta teased him too much about his name. But Yuta was right about one thing. Inutaisho had an odd hobby for a demon: he liked rescuing humans. In fact, that's how he met Yuta…

Author-chan's notes: Okay, the next chapter is going to be a flashback, about how Inutaisho met Yuta. I read from somewhere that Inutaisho really _is_ the name that Rumiko Takahashi gave to Inuyasha's father. So I didn't make up his name. Yuta isn't my original character either. He's from another anime by Rumiko Takahashi called "The Mermaid Saga". You don't have to read "The Mermaid Saga" to understand this fic. I'll probably tell you enough about "The Mermaid Saga" later in this fic for you to understand, so don't worry.

(**Quick note**: "Inu" means "dog" in Japanese, just in case you didn't know. "Inutaisho" translates into something like "dog general" or "dog leader". And you probably already know that Inuyasha's name means "dog demon".)

P.S. Please review!!!!


	3. Memories

Author-chan's Notes: **KON'NICHI WA, MINNA-SAN!!! **My third chapter! YAY!!! Enjoy!

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* Disclaimer *: I don't own Inuyasha or The Mermaid Saga. They both belong to Rumiko Takahashi. (*Sigh*) Oh well, at least I own Koru and my other original characters.

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* Important Note! Must Read! *: Okay, this chapter is a flashback. It talks about how Inutaisho met Yuta. The chapter set about two months before the last one. The exact location of this chapter is unknown, but you can be sure that it's far away from the village where the last two chapters were set.

The Golden Stare of My Brother

(Chapter Three: Meetings)

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* Flashback (two months ago) *

"Stupid map," Inutaisho muttered to himself, "Why in the seven bloody hells would humans change everything?! You buy a map, and then it's useless one hundred years later!!! Damn it all!!!" Inutaisho had been wandering about Japan for a few weeks now. The Demon Lord had begun traveling about due to the advice of one of his most trusted advisers. Inutaisho had disguised himself as well. Using a thick black wig to cover his white hair and pointed ears, the dog demon didn't look _too_ out of place among humans. True, his golden eyes with their cat-like pupils had drawn a few stares, but no one ever made a fuss about them. At least, not too much of a fuss…

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"Damn! I nearly got myself killed in that last village! I have to remember to keep my eyes down. Why did I have to go traveling in the first place? " Inutaisho asked himself, _"Oh that's right. All because _HE_ said that I'd find a mate in my travels. Why in the seven hells would I _want _a mate?! Look at my first mate! She was scandalous evil thing. I don't know whether to be sad or thankful that she's dead. Wait, I know how I feel about her death. THANK YOU, ALL YOU GODS ABOVE, THAT SHE'S DEAD!!! He also said I'd find a loyal friend who would not only be useful to me, but to my son as well. Feh! Imagine Sesshoumaru being friends with anyone who was friends with me! That pup takes after his mother in more ways than I would like."_ Inutaisho was still lost in his thoughts, until two voices interrupted him.

"Give it over!" a harsh voice demanded.

"I already told you, I don't have anything valuable in my pack," another voice sighed. The new voice didn't sound frightened, just _very_ annoyed. Inutaisho peered over a few bushes to see two human males. One man held a sword and wore clothes that didn't match with each other, as if he had gotten them from several different places. Inutaisho could easily guess that the man was a thief. The other man was dressed rather plainly, but at least his clothes matched. The second man wore his shoulder length in a ponytail. Across his shoulder, the second man had a thin pole that carried a small pack.

"I said hand it over!" the first man yelled again.

"Or what? You'll kill me?" the second man asked quietly. Inutaisho blinked. This human wasn't worried about dying. In fact, the second man seemed almost bored. He wasn't worried about dying, and that confused the youkai lord. Didn't humans cherish their lives above all things?

"JUST GIVE ME THE SACK!!!" the thief roared. Suddenly, the thief charged forward with his sword. Inutaisho chose that moment to act.

"OOF!" the thief gasped as Inutaisho leapt on him. Inutaisho knocked the sword out of the thief's grasp as he tackled him. 

"RUN!!!" he yelled at the second man. The human hesitated. 

"I SAID RUN, DAMNIT!!!" Inutaisho roared. The man ran.

"So he got away," the thief muttered, "Too bad."

"Any baka with eyes could see that the pack that man was carrying had next to nothing! You're pathetic!" Inutaisho snarled.

"Not as pathetic as you!" the thief snarled as he kneed Inutaisho in the stomach. The youkai didn't even have time to catch his breath as the other man grabbed him, and tossed him against a tree. When Inutaisho hit the tree, it shattered.

"You're pretty strong," Inutaisho muttered as he glared at the thief, "Too strong."

"What can I say?" the thief said smugly, "I'm rather impressed with you myself. I'm surprised your bones didn't shatter like that tree. You don't have a scratch on you."

"Feh!" Inutaisho spat, "I know what you are. I can smell it!"

"That so?" the thief said mockingly, "What about you? What are _you_?"

"Shut up, kitsune!" Inutaisho snarled.

The newly identified fox demon laughed, "There is only one youkai that has a nose powerful enough to smell through my disguises. You're an inu youkai, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?" Inutaisho asked.

"I've heard rumors about an dog demon that cares for humans. That _saves _their pitiful lives. Only a _weak _youkai would care about humans. Isn't that right, _Lord _Inutaisho?" the kitsune said mockingly. 

"Who are you?" Inutaisho demanded.

"I am Koru, the Great Demon of the Eastern Lands," the kitsune said smugly, "I must say, Inutaisho, I am quite surprised a little lapdog like you was able to hold the Western Lands for so long. I suppose the Western Lands only have weak demons to oppose you. How sad!"

"The Eastern Lands must have even weaker demons if a _kitsune_ was able to hold the Eastern Lands," Inutaisho sneered. The kitsune burned with rage. 

"WHY YOU!!! I'll show you how I became the Great Demon of the Eastern Lands!!!" Koru snarled.

"ICE FIST!!!" Large icicles threw themselves at Inutaisho.

"DAMN!" Inutaisho snarled as he dodged the attack.

"Impressive," Koru said, "You managed to dodge my Ice Fist."

"You're not a full kitsune, are you?" Inutaisho said, "Kitsune magic is based on illusions and fire. Kitsune cannot control ice."

"Smart dog," Koru said, "My mother was an ice elemental. I got most of my magic from her."

"Feh! I don't care if you're mother was an ice elemental or a bloody donkey! You're still a _pathetic little fox_!!!" Inutaisho sneered. At first Koru seemed to boil with rage. Then suddenly, he smiled.

"Do you want to know something, lapdog?" Koru taunted.

"Why would I care about kitsune garbage?" Inutaisho asked, a bored expression on his face.

"You're a fool, lapdog!!!" the kitsune hissed, "You have no idea what that human was carrying!"

"Feh! Judging by the size of his pack, he wasn't carrying much," Inutaisho shrugged.

"Foolish lapdog!!!" Koru spat, "If my guess is correct, that human has something more valuable than any golden treasure! Immortality is right within my grasp!"

"Feh!" Inutaisho grunted as he turned away from Koru. Koru seethed, realizing that the other demon had simply dismissed him as a pathetic little kitsune, not worth a decent fight with. The fox demon growled.

"DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOU BACK TO ME!!!" Koru snarled, charging at the unprepared Inutaisho. Inutaisho turned around too slowly. But before Koru had reached Inutaisho, something stopped the furious kitsune.

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*THONK!!!* Koru collapsed on the ground. Standing over him was the second man from before holding a large branch, which he had obviously used to knock out the demon with.

"Sorry I took so long," the man said sheepishly, "I couldn't find a big enough stick."

"You didn't have to do that," Inutaisho told the human, "I could have handled him."

"Is that so?" the man said, raising an eyebrow, "He looked like he was ready to strangle you. And I didn't need _your_ help either. That thief wouldn't have killed me."

"Feh! He looked like he was just about to run you through with that sword when I came in. You would have been _dead_ if it hadn't been for me," Inutaisho snorted.

"Let's just call it even," the human suggested, " You saved me, I saved you. How's that?"

"Feh! Whatever," Inutaisho shrugged. 

"So, what are we going to do about him?" the man asked, gesturing towards the unconscious form of Koru.

"Leave him here," Inutaisho shrugged, "The crows can have his worthless hide."

"WHAT?! Isn't that a bit harsh?" the man asked, "This man is still breathing, you know! We can't leave him here to die."

"He would have done the same to us," Inutaisho shrugged, "Why would you care if this man would die or not?"

"I've seen enough death," the man sighed, "Why should we leave this man to die? It's not necessary to kill him." The corners of Inutaisho's mouth quirked up in a small smile.

"Calm down," Inutaisho told the human, "He won't die out here. Demons are a lot tougher than they look."

"D-demons?" the man sputtered. Inutaisho grinned, as he kneeled down beside Koru. Combing through the kitsune's hair, Inutaisho located the leaf that Koru used to cast his illusions. With the leaf gone, Koru's true form was revealed. 

Koru's hair, which used to be pitch black from the illusion, turned a silvery-gray color. The kitsune's skin turned several shades paler, and his face became more pointed. Silver fox ears appeared on top of Koru's head. A long bushy silver tail completed Koru's change.

"How did you know he was a demon?" the man asked Inutaisho.

"I just did, that's all," Inutaisho shrugged. The two got up together, and began to walk away from Koru before could wake up.

"So where are you going?" the man asked Inutaisho.

"I not sure," Inutaisho shrugged, "I'm trying to find someone. And what about you? Where are you headed?"

"I don't know where I'm going either," the man laughed, "And I'm trying to find someone as well."

"What an odd coincidence," Inutaisho laughed, "Maybe we should travel together for a bit. Who knows? Maybe we'll both find who we're looking for."

"That's fine with me," the man said, "By the way, my name is Yuta."

"It's nice to meet you Yuta," Inutaisho said politely, "My name is, um, Inu."

"Inu? As in a dog?" Yuta asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Hai," Inutaisho said sheepishly.

"Well, Inu, I have one question for you," Yuta said.

"What?" Inutaisho asked.

"Are you really man's best friend?" Yuta asked teasingly. 

"Baka," Inutaisho muttered, punching Yuta softly on the shoulder. Yuta grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes," Yuta said with a grin.

Author-chan's notes: Wow! I finally finished this chapter! You might think that this chapter is kind of useless, but trust me, this chapter is very important. Koru will show up later. 

Just in case you don't know who Yuta is, Yuta is a character from the Mermaid Saga. In the Mermaid Saga, Yuta ate the flesh of a mermaid and gained immortality. However, as time went on, Yuta grew tired of immortality and tried to search for a cure for immortality. He was told that the only way to become a normal man again was to find a mermaid. Then the mermaid should be able to turn him back to normal. He searched for five hundred years, and he is still searching as far as I know. This isn't Yuta's entire story, but it's enough for you to understand my fic. If there's anything else you need to know, you can either review me and ask, or I'll tell you later in the story. (So now you know why Koru was after Yuta. Koru probably found out that Yuta was an immortal, and Koru probably thought that Yuta might have some more of the mermaid's flesh on him. It looks like Koru wants to be immortal. What a greedy little boy. Tsk, tsk. You also now know that the person that Yuta is looking for is a mermaid.) 

P.S. Please R+R!!!!! Questions will be answered in the Author's notes in later chapters. (Remember, flames are bad for Author-chan's health! They're also bad for the story's health!)


	4. New Friends

Author-chan's notes: WOW!!! Chapter number four!!! Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: (*Author-chan is wearing a pair of ruby slippers, and her eyes are closed. Then, tapping the slippers together three times, she makes a wish.*) I wish I own Inuyasha, I wish I own Inuyasha, I wish I own Inuyasha. (*Author-chan opens eyes.*) Drat! I _still_ don't own Inuyasha! Note to self: Don't buy a pair of magical ruby slippers from an evil witch you meet on the street. Hmm. I wonder if Dorothy still has those slippers she got from OZ… 

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*Important Note! Must Read! *: Okay, this chapter picks up from chapter two. Remember that Mira and Takashi are about to get beat up by a gang of other kids. Inutaisho has heard someone calling for help, and he and Yuta are running off to find out who it is. (Of course we all know that Mira and Takashi are the ones in trouble.) Well, on with the fic! 

The Golden Stare of My Brother

(Chapter Four: New Friends)

In the woods outside the village (with Inutaisho and Yuta)

"I think the screams came from this direction!" Inutaisho told Yuta as he ran toward the village. 

"Are you sure, Inu?" Yuta asked as he ran, "I didn't hear anything."

"Just trust me!" Inutaisho snarled, "I know I heard something!"

"Whatever you say, Inu!" Yuta said, running after his friend. However, as many of us know, trying to keep up with a demon is kind of stupid. Yuta lost sight of Inutaisho in a matter of seconds. Yuta stopped trying to keep up with his friend and took a couple of deep breaths. 

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"Damn!" Yuta swore in his mind, _"He's too fast!!! I can't keep up with him! I've never seen anybody move that fast!!! Hmm. I wonder…"_

"Hold on!" Inutaisho muttered quietly, "Whoever or whatever you are, hold on! I'm coming!"

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In the village (with Mira, Takashi, and the bullies)

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"Hold on! Whoever you are, hold on! I'm coming!" Mira blinked in surprise. She thought that she had just heard a man's voice, promising to rescue her and Takashi. But that was impossible, right?

"What's with the dumb expression on your face freak?" Takashi's older brother asked. 

"Stop teasing her, Onii-san!" Takashi yelled. 

"Shut up, Takashi!!!" his brother yelled, as he punched Takashi in the stomach.

"STOP!!!!" Mira cried, tears running down from her face. Takashi's brother just sneered at her.

"You can shut up too, witch," the older boy snarled, "Takashi needs to be taught a lesson. He has to learn how to respect his elders!"

"What's going on here?!" a new voice called out suddenly. Mira looked up to see a man standing nearby. The first thing that popped into Mira's mind was that he was handsome. The man's tall form cut a dashing figure, making the man look like some sort of hero from a story coming to save her and Takashi. The man's long black hair hung to his waist, and his unruly bangs hung into his eyes, so that Mira couldn't tell what color they were. For some odd reason, Mira was positive that the man's hair was actually a wig, but looked very real. Maybe Mira's mind was just playing tricks on her. 

"Well, boy, I'm waiting for an answer," the man said coldly. The bully simply cursed under his breath.

"This isn't over yet, witch," Takashi's brother snarled at Mira, "We'll be back to finish what we started!" Then with a quick turn of his heel, the bully (along with all of his followers) left, leaving Mira and Takashi alone with the stranger.

"Hey, are you two brats alright?" the man asked.

"I'm fine. What about you, Takashi?" Mira asked.

"I'll be alright," Takashi wheezed, still clutching his stomach, "Shingo-onii-san has hit me harder before."

"WHAT?!" both Mira and the man screeched at the same time.

"That punk was your brother?!" the man cried out in surprise.

"He's hit you harder before?!" Mira cried out. Takashi just nodded dumbly. Both Mira and the man just stared at him until the man exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! I MEAN, COME ON!!! SURE, _YOUR_ KIND AREN'T THE _KINDEST_ PEOPLE AROUND, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT AT LEAST _YOUR_ PEOPLE WOULD HAVE AT LEAST _SOME _SORT OF _LOVING_ RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FAMILIES!!! I WOULD EXPECT THIS KIND OF CRUELTY AMONG YOUKAI, NOT HUMANS!!! HECK, I DON'T THINK I WOULD EXPECT THIS KIND OF CRUELTY AMONG DEMONS EITHER!!!" the man fumed.

"I agree," Mira nodded, "Not even youkai would do anything _this_ mean! And I think youkai are probably the evilest creatures that ever lived!" Unseen by her, the stranger flinched slightly. 

"Don't be so sure about that," the man muttered under his breath. 

"INU!!!!" a new voice called. Yuta came running towards the group. When he finally reached them, he collapsed on the ground, completely out of breath.

"Oi! Something wrong, Yuta?" Inutaisho asked.

"N-n-n-no," Yuta gasped, "Nothing's wrong!"

"You sure, sir?" Mira asked, "You look like you've been running for _miles_!"

"I have," Yuta muttered darkly. Then turning to Inutaisho, he said, "Remind me never to try to keep up with you. It will kill an ordinary man."

"Funny," Inutaisho smirked, "It didn't kill you!"

"I'm not an _ordinary_ man anymore, my friend," Yuta muttered quietly under his breath. Yuta had said this so quietly, that no human could have heard him. But Inutaisho, the Great Demon of the West, did. And those words made Inutaisho think.

"Um, excuse me?" Mira said, interrupting Inutaisho's thoughts, "But who are you?"

"My name is Inu," Inutaisho began, "And the poor wretch on the ground is my traveling companion, Yuta. Say 'hello' to the nice kids, Yuta."

"Hello to the nice kids, Yuta," Yuta mumbled. Mira stifled a giggle.

"Well, my name is Takashi," Takashi said, "And this is Mira."

"Hi!" Mira said cheerfully, looking up at Inutaisho with bright purple eyes. Inutaisho's own eyes widened.

"Y-your eyes! They're _purple_!" Inutaisho sputtered. Mira's eyes began to fill up with tears. Inutaisho began to sweatdrop at her tears.

"H-h-hey!!! Don't start crying on me now!!!" Inutaisho began.

"W-why did I have to be cursed with such eyes!!!" Mira cried, throwing her arms around Takashi's neck. Takashi turned bright red as Mira cried into his shoulder. Yuta smiled slight to himself. It looked like the boy might begin developing feelings for the girl.

"What do ya mean, 'cursed'?" Inutaisho blinked in confusion, "I thought your eyes were pretty."

"_R-r-really_?!" Mira hiccuped. 

"Yeah," Inutaisho shrugged. Mira grinned. Then, without warning, Mira gave Inutaisho a quick hug. Unfortunately, she was still hugging Takashi when she did this, so the poor boy got squashed in the middle.

"Aww! How cute! A group hug! Can I join?" Yuta asked. Inutaisho glared at him.

"You do, you die," Inutaisho growled. 

"Does that mean, I can't have a hug?" Yuta asked, pretending to be sad.

"Of course not, Yuta-san!" Mira giggled. She let go of Inutaisho (but she didn't let go of Takashi), and hugged Yuta. And yet again, our poor Takashi-san was squashed between two people. 

"Mira-san! I _can't_ breathe!" Takashi gasped. Mira let go quickly, and let Takashi catch his breath.

"Gomen, Takashi-san! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Mira gasped. 

"It's alright," Takashi said.

"How can I make this up to you?" Mira asked. 

"Well, why don't we be friends?" Takashi suggested. 

"How about being friends forever?" Mira suggested, holding up a pinky. Takashi smiled.

"Forever and ever!" Takashi agreed as he hooked his pinky with hers. (AN: As many of us know, the classic Japanese way to make a promise is to pinky swear. I don't know if they did this during the Feudal Ages, but they do in my fic.)

"I can see this friendship growing into love, don't you agree, Yuta?" Inutaisho whispered to his friend. 

"Perhaps," Yuta said quietly, "But 'forever' is a long time. It's hard to live forever." Inutaisho raised an eyebrow. Since when did Yuta start acting so deep? Perhaps Yuta always was deep, it was just that Inutaisho never noticed it.

"Maybe it is hard to live forever," Inutaisho began, "But is it hard to _love_ forever?"

"No," Yuta said, smiling slightly, "It's not hard to love someone forever. And it's not hard to be friend with someone forever. But what if you outlive the ones you love? What if you outlive your friends? What then?"

"I-I don't know," Inutaisho said, "But I believe that even if you outlive the person you love, you still carry a little bit of that person around in your heart. Even if the person is no longer there, the love still lives. That's how love can be forever."

"Since when did you start giving out sage advice?" Yuta asked playfully.

"Don't know," Inutaisho shrugged, "Since when did you become so deep and sad?" Yuta laughed.

"You got a point there," Yuta said, "I have no idea what came over me." 

"Same here," Inutaisho agreed.

"Come on," Yuta began, "Be better look after these kids."

"Yeah," Inutaisho agreed, walking towards the two eight-year-olds.

__

"When did_ I start acting so deep and sad?"_ Yuta asked himself,_ "Is it because I became immortal? Living forever is hard; you have to watch your friends and loves grow old and die. But Inu's right. You can be someone's friend forever and you can love someone forever; you just have to keep a piece of them in your heart."_

***

"So what now?" Inutaisho asked. 

"Um, why don't you come over to my house?" Mira suggested, "I'm sure that Okaa-san and Aunt Bara would like to meet you all."

"Sure," Yuta said, "Will they have food at your house?"

"Yep! Okaa-san is a GREAT cook! So is Aunt Bara!" Mira said. 

"All right!!!" Inutaisho and Yuta yelled together, sounding like little kids again (AN: Hehehehehe!!! Imagine _those_ two acting like that!).

"Food!!! How long has it been since we've had food?" Yuta asked. 

"I don't know," Inutaisho mused, "Days, weeks, months? I lost track."

"How about you, Takashi-chan?" Mira asked, "Do you want to come over?"

"Sure!" Takashi grinned. 

"Food!!!" Yuta and Inutaisho yelled. Mira and Takashi giggled at the older men's antics.

***

Akiko, Bara, and Mira's house (a few minutes later)

"Mira! Who are all these people?" Bara asked her niece.

"Friends," Mira answered simply.

"Well, don't just let them stand out there! Invite them in!" her aunt ordered.

"Hai! Would you all like to come in?" Mira asked, turning to her new friends.

"That would be nice, Mira-chan!" Takashi chirped. 

"If there's food, I'm going in first!" Yuta declared. 

"No you're not, _I_ am! I haven't eaten in _days_!!!" Inutaisho moaned. 

"_So_?! Neither have I!" Yuta protested, "And besides, you ate the last bit of food in our packs!"

"But that was _days_ ago, remember?" Inutaisho countered, "And anyway, you were eating more that me on a daily basis!" 

"WAS NOT!!!"

"WAS TO!!!"

"WAS NOT!!!"

"WAS TO!!!"

"WAS NOT!!!"

"WAS TO!!!"

"WA-"

"Listen, you two, you don't need to fight," Bara interrupted, "We have plenty of food."

"WE WEREN'T FIGHTING!!!" the two men yelled.

"Men!" Bara snorted, "I swear, all they do is eat and fight!"

"That's not all we do!" Yuta protested.

"Fine. You sleep too," Bara said, rolling her eyes. She walked back into the house, still muttering about men.

"Now that was harsh," Inutaisho muttered.

"Mira, I mean no offence, but your aunt has got to be the _scariest_ thing I've ever run into!" Yuta joked. 

"Even scarier that Koru?" Inutaisho teased.

"Ha! You mean that fox demon? He couldn't scare _anything_ if his life depended on it!" Yuta proclaimed. 

"You sure about that?" Inutaisho questioned, "After all, Koru _is_ one of the Great Demons."

"'Great Demon' my butt," Yuta sneered, "Anything could beat that idiot. He's no more a Great Demon than you are!" Inutaisho paled for a moment.

"Are you okay, Inu-san?" Mira asked.

"I'm fine," Inutaisho muttered, "Guess I'm a bit hungry. Shall we go in?"

As everyone walked into the dwelling, Mira couldn't help but wonder about a few things. Who was Koru? Why did Inu pale at Yuta's words? Why were Yuta and Inu here in the first place? And why did Mira get this strange felling from both of them? Who and what were they really?

Author-chan's notes: Mira is really thinking hard, ne? She's already thinking beyond her age. I suppose that's because she's kind of already grown up inside. They grow up so fast. I suppose Takashi is also kind of grown up already too. In the next chapter, Yuta, Inutaisho, and Takashi meet Mira's mom, Akiko. Hmm, what will Akiko think about all these guests? Find out in the next chapter!

P.S. Please R+R!!! (Just no flames!)


	5. Tails, er, Tales of the Great Demons

Author-chan's notes: **KONNICHI WA!** It's good to be back! I want to dedicate this chapter to all the people that read this fic. 

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Disclaimer: Inuyasha and The Mermaid Saga don't belong to me. But this piece of candy does! *A giant crow swoops down and steals the candy* MY CANDY!!!! *cries*

****

*Important Note! Must Read! *: This chapter picks up from the last chapter, in case anybody's wondering.

The Golden Stare of my Brother

(Chapter Five: Tails, er, Tales of the Great Demons)

Back at Bara's/Akiko's/Mira's home

"Aunt Bara?" Mira began, as the boys glanced around the house, "Where is Okaa-san?"

"I'm right here!" said Akiko, poking her head from behind a screen. 

"Konnichi wa, Okaa-san!" Mira chirped, "I'd like you to meet my friends, Takashi-chan, Inu-san, and Yuta-san!"

"Konnichi wa! My name is Akiko," Akiko said smiling at the newcomers. The men and Takashi said their "hellos". 

"We met each other today," Mira explained, "They helped me against a few of the other children in the village." Akiko paled.

'Not again,' Mira's mother thought, 'My poor child. Why won't those children leave her alone? Why won't their parents leave me alone?'

"Are you alright, Akiko-san?" Yuta asked, noticing her pale face.

"I-I'm fine," Akiko murmured. There was a moment of silence.

"Yuta-san, why don't you tells us what brings Inu-san and you here? I would think that two young men like you would be looking for adventure. This is hardly the place to find adventures," Bara said. The two men laughed. Whether they were laughing at being called young (Remember: Yuta is immortal, he's a bit older than he looks, and Inutaisho is a demon and he's about a thousand years old!) or Bara saying that the village didn't have adventures was hard to tell.

"We ended up here because, Inu over there, heard Mira-chan crying for help," Yuta explained, "How I didn't hear her, I don't know."

"That's doesn't make any sense!" Takashi argued, "I was with Mira-chan the whole time, and she never called for help!"

"Then who did I hear calling for help?" Inutaisho asked, "The voice that called me and Mira-chan's voice sound exactly the same! Believe me, boy, I am not one who mixes up voices."

"This is getting odd," Yuta muttered, "This is even stranger than when we met Koru!" 

"Koru?" Bara blinked, "The Great Demon of the East?"

"Y-You mean he really is the Great Demon of the East?" Yuta sputtered, "I thought he was lying!"

"You mean you don't know the stories about the Four Great Demons?" Akiko asked, "They are a very famous tale around these parts."

"All I know about the Great Demons is that they are more powerful than regular demons and that they each control one region of Japan: the North, the South, the East, and the West. I always thought they were just stories since I've never heard of any of these 'Great Demons' controlling human lives," Yuta shrugged. 

"The Great Demons are real, Yuta-san," Akiko said, "However they don't control human lives. The Great Demons control the lives of other demons, not humans. Although it is true that they have _some_ influence over the lives of humans in their territory. Sometimes they demand sacrifices once and awhile. If you live in the wrong place you might end up dead. Imagine living in a village right next to where two demons want to fight! The worst thing that you could do to a Great Demon is to get on its bad side. I hear that demons like to torture their prisoners very, _very _slowly and painfully. All you have to do is keep out of their way and they'll leave you alone. Well, that is, unless they want something from you, or they want to eat you."

"Ha! I think you might want to fix your facts, Akiko-san," Yuta snorted, "Inu and me met one of these Great Demons. He attacked me with no bloody reason!"

"Perhaps he wanted to eat you," Bara shrugged, "But that's unlikely. You're too skinny and pathetic to make a good meal. Koru could finish you up in a couple of bites, and he's the smallest of the Great Demons!"

"Maybe you had something he wanted," Inu suggested, "Remember how he was demanding that you give him your pack?"

"I don't have anything important in my pack. See?" Yuta said as he opened up his sack in front of everyone. Inside the pack were a pair of chopsticks, a bowl, a few pieces of flint, some string, and some fishhooks.

"Maybe he just _thought _you had something valuable," Inu said. There was a moment of silence.

"Um, Bara-san?" Yuta began, breaking the silence, "Can you tells us about the Great Demons?"

"Alright," Bara agreed, "There are four Great Demons: Inuyumi, who rules the North, Minami, who rules the South, Koru, who rules the East, and Inutaisho who rules the West. Both Inutaisho and Inuyumi are inu youkai; they're brother and sister. Minami is a snake demon. Koru is a half-breed; he's half kitsune and half ice elemental. Little is known about Minami. He is very aloof; he rarely associates with demons or humans. Inuyumi is extremely dangerous to humans. Many say that her hobby is killing humans; it's something she does whether she's bored or not." No one noticed that Inu had begun to shake slightly with some sort of suppressed emotion. No one, except Akiko.

"Are you alright, Inu-san?" Akiko whispered to him.

"Aa," Inutaisho muttered, "I just need some fresh air." With that, the disguised Great Demon left the house. The others looked at Akiko.

"He just went out for some fresh air, he'll be back in a few minutes," Akiko explained, still slightly worried about Inu.

"Oh," the others said simply, and turned back to Bara.

"What about Inuyumi's brother, Inutaisho?" Yuta asked.

"I WAS GETTING TO THAT!!!" Bara yelled.

"Sorry," Yuta mumbled. 

"Inutaisho," Bara continued, "is the complete opposite of his sister. He's an odd youkai, a _very_ odd youkai. He cares for the humans in his territory, and tries to protect them from the other demons in his lands. It's even said that he would disguise himself as a human and walk among the humans of his lands. Of course these are only stories.

"According to each of the stories about Inuyumi and Inutaisho that although their feelings towards humans differ, they both care for each other deeply. It is said that if you hurt one of the siblings, the other would hunt you down and destroy you, whether you were human, demon, or god, didn't matter," Bara said.

"So what about Koru?" Yuta interrupted again.

"QUIT INTERRUPTING ME, YOU BAKA!!!" Bara yelled, smacking the immortal, "I WAS JUST GETTING TO KORU!!!"

"Fine," Yuta snorted. Then he muttered something dirty under his breath. Bara hit him again. 

"Will you two stop fighting?" Akiko asked.

"Can we continue the story Aunt Bara? Please?" Mira put in. 

"Fine. As long as _he_ doesn't interrupt me again!" Bara glared at Yuta. 

"I think Aunt Bara likes Yuta-san," Mira whispered to her mother. Akiko nodded.

"We were at Koru right?" Bara said. Heads nodded. "Alright. Koru, like I said, is half kitsune and half ice elemental. Besides having the standard kitsune abilities of creating illusions and shields, Koru can also control ice. His main attack is 'Ice Fist'. He can summon up large icicles and hurl them at his enemies."

"That makes sense," Yuta said, "I remember seeing ice around the area where Inu fought Koru. Strange, why didn't I think of that before?"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO INTERRUPT ME AGAIN, YUTA!!!" Bara roared.

"Stop yelling and get on with the story," Yuta snapped. 

"Some men!" Bara muttered, and then continued with the story, "Koru is also said to be obsessed with immortality. You see, although demons live longer than humans do, and are harder to kill, they are not immortal. They can die. Why Koru wants to be immortal is unknown."

"I got it all figured out now," Yuta muttered to himself, "So _that_'s why he was after me. Well, he's going to be disappointed…" Yuta kept muttering to himself, forgetting that the others were there.

"Men are strange," Bara sighed, and then began to prepare dinner. 

"Here, Aunt Bara, let me help," Mira said, walking over to help her aunt.

"I'll help too," Takashi added, standing up. 

"I'll go find Inu-san," Akiko said, "I'll be right back."

***

Outside of the house

Inutaisho was sitting in a tree outside of the house. He had taken off his wig, and his pure white hair fluttered in the wind. The Demon Lord sighed as he looked at his black wig. 

__

'I hate hiding like this,' Inutaisho thought to himself,_ 'but what else can I do? I went out to find a mate, and I am going to find myself a mate! Sooner or later. Well at least I know who my good friend that my advisor told me about is. I'm pretty sure it's Yuta, but how can Yuta be friends with Sesshoumaru? I know my advisor prophesized that the friend that I would find in my travels would be a friend to my son, but I can't see Sesshoumaru liking any human. Humph. That pup is _way_ too much like his mother sometimes. He's too much like Yumi-chan.' _The youkai sighed and thought about his sister, Inuyumi. Yumi-chan and Tai-kun. That's what Inuyumi and Inutaisho called each other. They were nicknames that they gave each other when they were very small. Since Yumi and Tai were human names, the two demons used to disguise themselves as humans and try to blend in with the human crowd. Of course that had been when they were very young. That was before Inuyumi and Inutaisho became Great Demons. Before the siblings became Great Demons, both of them cared for humans. But then something happened to Yumi that Inutaisho never figured out. She began to hate humans with a fiery passion. If it wasn't for the fact that Inuyumi still loved her brother, Inutaisho would have thought that Yumi had become an entirely different person. Inutaisho sighed wistfully. 

"Inu-san?" Inutaisho's ears perked up at Akiko's voice. Cursing under his breath, the Lord of the Western Lands replaced his wig before Akiko could see him.

"Hai?" Inutaisho grunted when he finished fixing his disguise. Akiko looked up the tree and spotted him.

"What are you doing up there?" Akiko asked.

"Thinking," Inutaisho shrugged.

"About what?" she asked. The youkai paused for a moment, debating with himself whether or not to tell her the truth.

"My sister," he answered finally.

"Oh," Akiko said quietly, "What happened to her?"

"None of your business, wench!" Inu snapped. Akiko glared at him.

"You are SO rude!" Akiko scolded.

"Feh!"

"Dinner will be soon," Akiko said curtly. Then she went back into the hut, muttering to herself.

Author-chan's notes: So Inutaisho has a sister. She'll be appearing soon, hopefully. As for when is everyone going to find out that Inutaisho is a demon and Yuta is an immortal that should be happening soon too. Mou! This story was originally supposed to be about Mira, but I'm getting into the lives of the adults! 


End file.
